There was a time in the not-too-distant past when all bicycle helmets were available in just one style: racing. Swoops and vents and talons and lasers were the theme of the day, and even budget-minded lids were shaped this way.

Thankfully in the past few years the helmet companies have caught up to the growth in practical cycling, which has its own set of priorities—not the least of which is style. Now when I think of Scott Sports I usually think of its super-high-end road and mountain bikes, but it also has a well-rounded commuter line and the parts and accessories to go with it.

The Torus Plus helmet takes the technology pioneered from the action-packed side of cycling and shapes it into a more practical package. For example, the outer shell is more durable, as helmets don’t always live on your head, they get dragged into coffee shops, into work, shoved in the backseat of your friend’s car, etc. On the back you’ll also find a strap to which you can affix a clip-on light, and a swatch of herringbone tweed fabric that gives an extra style boost.

The chin straps are also simplified with a fixed fore-aft adjustment, which really makes getting a good fit easier. Inside the helmet the cradle system is adjustable for size with three click-in settings, then in the back there is an adjustable, stretchy elastic band. Scott Sports calls it the LW Fit system, and it’s a set-and-forget design that ensures a proper, snug fit without dials and levers. While I would normally try an XL helmet first, the medium sample Scott Sports sent us could be adjusted to fit even me, so that says a lot about the range in brains it can accommodate.

The Torus Plus helmet also features the MIPS system that is sweeping the helmet market. Essentially it is a thin layer inside the closed-cell foam that allows the head to rotate slightly when making in impact. Since most helmet impacts are glancing rather than direct, this slide and rotating helps to absorb some of that energy before it reaches the brain.

Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) helmet technology has been in existence since 2001, and the Swedish company just received a minority investment from California-based BRG Sports, parent company of well-known helmet makers Giro and Bell. The announcement was made at the 2014 Eurobike Show in Germany yesterday.

Not only will BRG Sports introduce several MIPS-equipped helmets under its own brands, it will continue to license the technology to several competitors, including Scott, POC, and Lazer Sport, among others.